To help you manage your borrowed items, a reminder notice to return them is emailed four days before the item is due. Additionally, items that are not on hold for someone else may autorenew. (See FAQ What is Autorenewal?) Reminder notices to return late items are also sent when items are 7 and 21 days overdue. Bills will be issued when items are five weeks late (35 days), and will include the cost of replacing each item. Patrons failing to return items over five weeks late may be denied borrowing privileges until those overdue items are either returned or paid for if lost and/or damaged. Under Pennsylvania law, 18 Pa.C.S.A § 6709, it is a summary offense to retain library property after being notified to return it.

As of November 10, 2021, items returned late to the UDPL will no longer accrue daily overdue fines, and the UDPL will no longer collect them. However, patrons are strongly encouraged to return items, particularly those for which others are waiting, on time. Anyone failing to return reservable items on or before their due date, such as museum passes and circulating technology, may be prohibited from future borrowing from these collections. Items returned late to other libraries in Montgomery County, regardless of which library from which they came or were borrowed, may accrue overdue fines on your account.